Summer When You Were Mine
by ournoisyhearts
Summary: Rachel and Puck are both stuck in Lima for the summer. Many unexpected adventures are about to ensue. Puckleberry, slightly OOC.
1. The Kwik Pik

Rachel and Puck are both slightly OOC here. Just warning you.

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_Every second counts on a clock that's ticking_

_We gotta live like we're dying_

-"Live Like We're Dying," Kris Allen

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Puck hates summer.

He always has.

He loves being at school (shocking, yes) where he feels on top of the world. He rules William McKinley High, and he's proud to do so. Being popular is one of the few thing in life he finds enjoyable, aside from sex, football and singing. Just because he likes to sing doesn't mean he's suddenly macking on dudes or anything. It's just something he likes, and something he's good at.

He hates summer. He really, truly does. There's something about the sticky, humid air and the sweat dripping down foreheads and spending days at home that _bugs _him. He likes to be out, doing something, always doing something; not sitting on his porch smoking a cigarette in the ninety-degree weather. He hates how the air is all heavy and the mosquitoes attack in violent swarms and everyone goes away, they go AWAY on vacation, leaving him alone. That's the thing he hates the most.

Last summer he went to football camp with Finn, and he was truthfully really excited. For once, maybe he didn't hate summer. But of course, the second week Finn sprained his ankle and had to go home early, leaving Puck to be tossed around and bullied by the other campers. That was when Puck decided to buff up and go back to school as a badass, and he'd never been picked on since.

After that, he hated summer even more.

This summer wasn't any different. Next year was Junior year, nothing special in his opinion, and he refused to do any school prep over vacation. That was for geeks who had nothing better do. He really didn't have anything to do **at all,** but he still wasn't going to do schoolwork. So he settled on running in the morning, watching tv in the afternoon, and screwing around town at night.

There really wasn't much to do in Lima. The bowling alley, which reeked of elderly people and mold, or the movie theater, which was where all the couple-y people went. Puck had made a vow to himself to never visit either, unless under crucial circumstances, so that really only left the Kwik-Pik Mart or the park, and he didn't want to spend the next three months with the crackheads hiding under the slide, so he settled for the Kwik-Pik.

The Kwik-Pik was a tiny drugstore on the south side of town, next to the old gas station and a Chinese restaurant that looked like it had been struck by some major natural disaster. It was Lima's version of a Rite-Aid or a CVS, only the quality was ten times worse. It sold everything from greeting cards to personal hygiene to crappy snack brands, complete with it's own rip off Thrifty Ice Cream stand. Puck had only been there a couple times when he was younger, usually for an ice cream cone or a fresh bottle of shampoo. It wasn't his favorite place in the world, but it would have to do for his lame summer hang out spot.

As he pushed open the old metal door, a blast of cold air hit him. He looked up at the twenty year old conditioning unit hanging a mere three inches above his head and immediately thought of Finn, who would've slammed his head into the thing easily. Finn. The thought of his ex-best friend sent his mind reeling.

After Sectionals, the glee club went on to win Regionals, and soon after Quinn gave birth to the baby. His baby. His sweet, innocent little girl, the girl he'd watched as she was handed to two eagerly waiting foster parents with sickeningly big smiles on their faces. That was the one moment in his life Puck had wanted to cry, the moment when those two people had ripped away the only thing he had ever truly loved. It made him want to punch something.

A few weeks after the birth, Quinn apologized profusely to Finn and the two got back together. This also made Puck want to punch something, if not for the fact that he wasn't the only one upset. Kurt Hummel, homo-extraordinaire had run out of the room bawling and Rachel Berry- well, fuck, Berry looked like she wanted to murder Quinn right then and there. Puck remembered laughing at the look on her face, and she had scowled at him before following Kurt out. It was a moment he didn't think he'd ever forget, definitely not if Quinn and Finn went on to get married and live happily ever after.

Snapping back to reality, Puck stepped away from the doorway and navigated his way around the cash registers to the ice cream counter. A girl about a year older than him stood behind it wearing the Thrifty visor, popping her gum as he stared at her blankly. For once, he didn't even care that the girl hadn't taken notice to his obvious good looks and ordered a double scoop of Rock Road, sliding two dollars across the counter and taking the ice cream.

He slowly licked the cold treat, wandering over to the magazine aisle. He was about to grab the latest edition of _Sports Illustrated _when he noticed a small figure standing a few feet away, wearing the hideous maroon colored Kwik-Pik polo. She was reaching up, trying to stack the newspapers on the top shelf. Puck found her to be strikingly familiar, with a fairly large nose and dark brown hair, pulled back into a ponytail. He heard her grunt quietly and she tried to shove the papers back on the shelf, standing on her tip toes, but to no avail. The stack of papers tilted back and tumbled off, falling on top of her. She stumbled and slipped backwards, the rest of the papers in her hands spilling to the ground as she fell straight onto her butt. Puck chuckled quietly and, gripping his ice cream cone in one hand, strolled over and offered the girl his other.

"Are you okay?" He grumbled. The girl grabbed his hand and pulled herself up, and blush creeping across her cheeks. Okay, she looked _really_ familiar.

"Did you see that?" She squeaked. Puck stifled a laugh and nodded as the girl finally looked up at him. Her blush drained and her eyes widened as she took a step back, almost tripping on the pile of papers at her feet.

"Noah?!"

"_Berry?" _Puck nearly dropped his ice cream and he stared at her like she was some bug he couldn't get rid of.

Rachel huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "I can't believe this."

Running a hand over his Mohawk, Puck glanced at her in shock. "You work at the Kwik-Pik?"

Rachel mumbled something unintelligible in reply and squatted down, stacking the loose papers into her arms. Puck was still surprised, and he just stood there dumbly, watching her clean up the mess.

"Would you stop staring at me? It's rather unnerving," Rachel spat, looking up at him from below.

Puck finally sucked in a breath and knelt down beside her, grabbing one of the papers and offering it to her. She set it on top of the stack hesitantly and continued her work silently. Puck noticed she was wearing a round white nametag, labeled RACHEL BERRY, on the left side of her shirt. They both finished grabbing the papers and Puck stood up first, brushing his hands off on his jeans.

"Nice nametag," he commented dryly, taking the papers for her while she stood up. Rachel yanked the stack back as soon as she had straightened up and pursed her lips.

"I find your attempts to annoy me quite ridiculous," she stated, spinning around her heel to walk away. Puck smirked and leaned against the shelf, his voice stopping her.

"Shouldn't you finish putting those away?"

Rachel stopped and sighed, turning back around to face him. "I am obviously not of the appropriate height to complete this task. I'm going to find an employee of more strength to do it."

Puck walked up to her and grabbed the papers out of her hands before turning and setting them easily on the top shelf. With his ice cream in one hand, he even took the time to lay them out on display before turning back to Rachel.

"Done," he grinned lopsidedly and took a lick of the treat. The smaller girl narrowed her eyes and adjusted her Kwik-Pik nametag.

"Why must you be so arrogant?" She huffed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Puck shrugged and finished off his ice cream, shoving the cone into his mouth. Rachel made a disgusted face and he just wiped his lips, tossing another smirk at her.

"You love it, babe," he chirped, strolling away from her slowly.

He could feel her staring at him as he left the store.

---

**NEW STORY!**

**So I have this problem where I get a billion alerts but only a few reviews? So I'd like it if you set an alert, to review. PLEASE. They really make me want to write more ;)**

**This story is kind of OOC and a bit AU.**

**Did you like it? Even if you didn't, REVIEW! Constructive critiscm or just simple compliments are appreciated.**


	2. Tampons

Still a bit OOC here. Forgive me please :D

And Puck's mom is like late 40's. You'll see why I told you that once you start reading.

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_I ain't here to do anything half-way_

_Don't give a damn what anyone might say_

_I just wanna free fall for awhile_

-"Wild At Heart," Gloriana

---

After his not so pleasant run in with Rachel Berry, Puck decided that the Kwik-Pik wasn't going to be his summer hang out spot. He didn't think he could stand being in the same store as her every day for the next couple of weeks.

The following day he decided to check out the park. That was a fail. He ran into Kranlowsky and his thugs, who managed to give him a black eye and kept hooting about him being in "homo explosion." Puck finally stumbled away a half hour later, keeping his head down as he began the walk of shame back to his house. Luckily, he didn't run into anyone from school and ran in the front door, slamming it behind him as he breathed out a sigh of relief. He walked into the kitchen to grab an ice pack for his eye and passed his mom, who was making a sandwich for his little sister.

"Honey? What happened to your eye?" She asked without looking up. _Damn that woman and her psychic abilities, _Puck cursed inwardely.

"I tripped," he grumbled, wrapping the pack in a towel and pressing it to his eye. He ignored the slight sting and grabbed an apple out of the basket on the counter, taking a large bite. His mom looked up from her task and smiled knowingly.

"Hm, okay then," she replied, saying no more. Puck took another bite of his apple and strolled over to his little sister, Olivia, who was sprawled out across the couch watching television.

"Whatcha watching, brat?" He spat, sitting down next to her. She kicked him in the high with her heel and widened her eyes.

"Don't call me that!" She screeched, kicking him again. Puck heard his mom's voice waft in from the kitchen.

"Be nice to your sister, Noah!"

Puck groaned and stood back up, glaring down at his sister. "You suck."

Olivia looked up at him innocently. "Suck what?"

The older boy grumbled some curse words in response and shuffled back into the kitchen, spotting a list on the refrigerator. "You want me to go get this for you?"

He wasn't one to run errands for his mother, but he had nothing better to do and besides, he needed to stay on her good side if he wanted her to send him to college.

"That would be great, honey. You should be able to get everything at the Kwik-Pik," his mom replied, putting Olivia's sandwich on a plate and carrying it into the living room. Puck brought a hand to his forehead and rubbed his face anxiously. The Kwik-Pik?

Oh, the irony.

Puck grabbed his truck keys off the counter and some money out his mom's purse (not THAT much- a fifty was the first thing he could find) and stomped out the front door. He climbed into the cab of his truck and carefully pulled out of the driveway, driving the two minutes to Kwik-Pik. His car was definitely nothing special; a used '89 Chevy, with peeling brown paint and an engine that was as loud as a nuclear explosion. He'd had neighbors call the police when he started the car at night, claiming they'd heard 'gun shots.' It was as annoying as fuck, but it got him where he needed to go.

Puck took his keys out of the ignition once he was parked and jumped out of the car, wiping his sweaty brow as he ran into the store. Another downside to his car- it didn't have air conditioning, and when it was almost a hundred degrees outside that wasn't the most convenient thing in the world. Puck walked through the swinging door, nearly hitting the conditioning unit- again- and dug the little scrap of paper out of his pocket. His mom's list consisted of the basics, sunscreen, new toothpaste, a 24-pack of bottled water…he scanned to the bottom of the list.

_Tampons._

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Puck mumbled under his breath. There was no way he was going to buy his mom tampons. He refused to even walk down THAT AISLE. It was like a crime against his badassness. He shoved the list back into his pocket and grabbed a basket, wandering through the store. He spent an extra five minutes debating if he should buy 30 or 45 SPF sunscreen and then fifteen minutes deciding between Dasani Water or the cheaper Kwik Pik brand. He was really only trying to kill time before he finally had to get the last item on the list, at which point he deeply regretted deciding to be nice to his mom.

His legs felt a hundred pounds heavier as he gripped his basket tightly in his right hand, slowly walking over to aisle five. He looked up at the sign, which read: "AISLE 5: FEMININE PRODUCTS." The name itself made him cringe, and he felt like he was pushing against a wall just taking a step forward. He didn't even know what kind of tampons his mom used, or what size, or…_anything._ He was a dude, for fuck's sake.

Puck made it halfway down the aisle and stopped in front of the tampons, turning his head slowly. He spent a couple seconds praying that nobody from school would see him and then grabbed the first package he saw, burying it quickly at the bottom of his basket and bolting away from the aisle. Once he was far away, back in the stationary section, he breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his Mohawk slowly. _I can't believe I did that,_ he thought wildly. As he slowly walked over to the check-out stands, he decided that he was never, ever running errands for his mom again.

"Good afternoon, Noah," a soft, high pitch voice squeaked as Puck set his basket on the stand. His head jerked up and he glanced bitterly at Rachel, carefully depositing his items onto the counter.

"Sup Berry," was all he said. As he emptied his basket, he completely forgot about the tampons and just set them right there, on the counter, out in the open. **Right in front of Rachel Berry.** He heard her giggle lightly and looked at the box in his hand, mentally cursing himself.

"I'm surprised, Noah. I always knew you had your share of secrets, but I wasn't expecting this," Rachel noted cheekily, scanning the items and depositing them into a plastic bag. Puck felt the heat rise in his cheeks and stared down at his shoes as he pulled out his wallet.

"Shut up, Berry," he growled, handing her the fifty. She just smiled and opened the cash register, gathering his change and handing it to him.

"Twelve eighty-four is your change, have a nice day!" She chirped, her grin so wide he thought her mouth might fall off her face. "And don't use all those tampons in one place."

Puck shot her the angriest look he could muster and shouted, "don't mess with me, Berry!" over his shoulder as he left the store. He climbed into his truck and threw the plastic Kwik-Pik bag onto the passenger seat before banging his shaved head against the headrest, closing his eyes.

"Way to look badass, dude," he scolded himself, putting the keys into the ignition. It looked like he'd just have to come back the next day to show Berry that he wasn't a pussy.

He just didn't really know how.

---

**Before I start scolding myself….22 REVIEWS ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! You're kidding me, right?! That's AMAZING, you guys! Thank you so so so so so so so much! And please forgive me about this spazz attack, but I am SO grateful. You have no idea. Now…**

**I had this chapter totally pictured in my head, and it came out all wrong. I might re-write it, depending on the response I get from you guys..and just to clarify, Puck's mom still menstruates…she's not that old, people! xD**

**Review, pretty please with a cherry on top? Or whatever you like on top of your ice cream sundaes. Feedback is MOST DEFINITELY appreciated!**


	3. Let's Do Something

I am SO SORRY for the late update. My laptop was in the shop, but it's all better now ;)

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_You've gotta stand for something _

_Or you'll fall for anything, fall for anything_

-"Fall For Anything," The Script

---

Too put it simply, Puck was not expecting a visitor at five o'clock in the morning.

He usually didn't get up for his run until around seven thirty or eight, at the earliest. Besides, most normal people didn't even wake up until after six, much less _five._ The sun wasn't even up yet. What kind of person would get up, dressed, and ring someone's doorbell at five o'clock in the MORNING?

The piercing chime sprung up somewhere in the back of his mind and his head jerked upright. He listened for footsteps, but neither his mom nor Olivia had woken up to the sound, which meant he had to get up and answer the door. Sighing, he stumbled down the hall to the front door in the dark and fumbled for the handle, pulling it open. It was almost pitch-black outside, so he reached for the porch light and flicked the switch, trying to make out the visitor's face.

Rachel Berry stood in grey sweatpants, an old Rolling Stones t-shirt and a light pink hoodie, holding out a plastic bag with the Kwik-Pik logo on it. Puck ripped the bag away from her and waited for his eyes to readjust to the light before speaking.

"What the FUCK, Berry?!"

Rachel gave him a little smirk and motioned to the bag. "I brought you some Midol."

Puck tilted his head to the side and stared at her blankly. "Midol? Is that some medicine for pussies?" He asked bitterly.

Rachel laughed quietly and shook her head. "I know how severe my cramps get, so I thought you might want some."

With that, she turned around and walked quickly down the front porch steps and across the lawn to her Prius, which was parked idly by the curb. Puck stared in shock as she climbed into the car, gave him a little wave, and pulled away. He had no idea what she was talking about. Cramps? What would-

_Holy shit._

Puck stuck his hand into the bag and pulled out the bottle, turning it to read the label on the back.

_Relieves menstrual symptoms, including cramping, and…_

His grip tightened on the bottle and he chucked the medicine with all his might into the early morning air, a scowl on his face.

"DAMMIT, BERRY!"

---

Noah Puckerman did not wake up a happy man. The scowl seemed to be permanently imprinted upon his lips, his eyebrows furrowed and his forehead wrinkled with anger. Rachel Berry had made him look like a fool, and that was _not _okay. Not at all.

After showering, getting dressed, and shoveling a bowl of cereal into his mouth, he took off for the Kwik-Pik, eager to get even. He hadn't quite come up with a plan yet, but he was working on it.

He stormed through the glass door and purposely put his hand up so that it slammed into the air conditioning unit on his way in. His fist against made a loud 'clang' against the metal and he smiled in satisfaction as the few customers turned his way to assess the commotion. One of the turning heads happened to include Rachel Berry, who was stacking soap bottles onto a shelf. She whipped around and when she noticed the newly placed scowl on his face, her lips turned up into a haughty grin. Puck face twisted up and he walked over to her angrily.

"Midol? Are you for real, Berry?!" He hissed, trying to keep his voice quiet. He would die if anyone they knew overheard him talking about this.

"I was only helping you," she replied, blinking innocently. She turned back to the shelf and lined up a few shampoo bottles, fully aware that the larger boy was still there.

"Ha. That's funny," he spat, his expression unchanging. "You have a lot of nerve, humiliating me like that. You know what I could do to you?!"

"Egg my house? Throw a slushie in my face? Nothing too out of the ordinary, I presume," she said in monotone without turning away from the shelf. Puck groaned and folded his arms over his chest, attempting to be intimidating.

"_Why?"_

A little smile appeared on Rachel's face. "I thought it would be funny," she said simply.

Now he was out of patience.

"Would you turn away from the damn shampoo and talk to me?!" He whisper-cried. Rachel froze, setting the bottles down and turning to him.

"There's nothing to talk about. I've had my fun, Noah," she said quietly, that fucking smile _still_ on her face. It was really starting to get on Puck's nerves.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say _Berry,"_ he muttered darkly, putting emphasis on the nickname he knew she hated. When they had dated, she had specifically asked him to use her first name. He refused and continued using her last name, knowing how much it annoyed her.

Rachel turned back to the shelf and finished putting the shampoo bottles away before standing up. Puck must have been standing there for a good ten minutes, just watching her work, when he finally realized he had no reason to be there. He tried to make it look like he had been searching for something as Rachel turned to him, brushing her hands off on her jeans. (Rachel Berry was wearing jeans? What had this world come to?)

Luckily, she brushed past him instead of instigating an argument.

Puck found himself kind of wishing she had.

---

He lingered around the Kwik-Pik for the next couple of hours. YES, it was pathetic, and YES, Rachel kept giving him weird looks when she passed, but it was his 'summer hang out spot,' after all.

At quarter to four Rachel finally approached him, a quizzical look on her face. Puck was busy licking an ice cream cone and reading the newest edition of _Sports Illustrated_ when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Why are you still here?" Rachel demanded, glaring at him. Puck shrugged and took a lick of his ice cream, setting the magazine back on the rack.

"It's not like I have anything better to do," he replied coolly, wiping his lips.

"Sorry. I just assumed you'd be…" she cringed at the thought. "Never mind."

Puck stopped just as he was bringing the ice cream to his lips again and lowered his arm, staring at her. "Assumed I'd be what?"

"I said never mind!" She shot back, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"What, Berry? You assumed I'd be _what?!"_ He said, lowering his face to meet hers. He was full-on grinning, knowing how uncomfortable he was making her.

Rachel took a deep breath and stepped back. "Nothing," she spat, taking more steps backwards until she turned around and walked out of the aisle. Puck's victorious expression fell and he finished off his ice cream, tossing the paper from the cone into the trash can by the store's entrance.

He spent the next half hour flirting with the girl at the cash register, feeling Rachel's gaze on his back.

---

The Kwik-Pik, which happened to be a 24/7 market, turned out to be Puck's home for the next couple of days. He'd show up in the morning around ten and left just after midnight. Of course, Rachel's shifts varied day by day, but he seemed to spot her mostly mid-day, between ten and three. Their interactions were limited, a few bickers here and there, but other than that Puck tried to avoid her at all costs. She was completely _crazy,_ after all.

One day, though, about two weeks into his new routine, she stopped him on his way in the door. Puck looked up at the air conditioning unit and then back down at Rachel, who was almost two feet below the thing. Wow, was she tiny.

"Enlighten me, Noah. Is there a reason you keep coming back to my workplace to annoy me _every day?_" She asked bitterly, glaring up at him. He scoffed and cocked his head to the side.

"Berry, chill. I already told you; I don't have anything better to do," he muttered plainly. His answer only seemed to anger her more, seeing as she huffed and spun around, storming away. Puck couldn't help but stare at her long golden legs poking out from a pair of white shorts.

(Shorts? Shit. Was this the same Berry he'd been throwing slushies at for the last two years?)

---

Another week passed. Puck decided that he _really_ needed to find something to do, so on Monday he makes the trek (read: drive) up to Cleveland to visit Santana at cheer camp. It was some community college and the girls were staying in the dorms, so he dragged Santana up to hers and locked the door before kissing her.

They spent the next two hours having sex.

He finally threw his clothes back on and stumbled out of the room, without even a goodbye.

(Santana was used to this. He knew Puck liked to do the least amount of talking as possible.)

---

Rachel was fully aware of Noah's absence on this particular day.

Usually she'd walk in and he'd be browsing through the magazines, or flirting with the cashier, or sometimes even just pacing by the door, awaiting her arrival and immediately starting an argument the second she walked in the door. (Why he did this, she had no idea. He was Puck, she'd just leave it at that.) Today, his missing presence was surprisingly eerie and unnerving.

Rachel tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach- seriously, why was she feeling like this?- and went on with the day's tasks. She stacked some of the snack foods, organized the coolers, and even took over at the cash register for quite a time. When she was getting ready to leave, one of her fellow employees came up and asked if she would finish one of his tasks, because he had an 'appointment.'

This was a lie, but Rachel accepted and asked him what it was. He lead her over to a stack of newspapers and told her to set them on the shelf. The very _top shelf._

The sinking feeling in her stomach returned but she forced a smile as the boy walked away. She eagerly pulled out her phone and glanced at the time. It was almost seven, which meant she had already stayed way past her designated shift. Grimacing, Rachel bent down and picked up the stack of papers, fumbling slightly and she straightened up, glancing up at the shelf.

_It's not that high,_ she told herself, stepping forward. She carefully grasped the papers and lifted herself onto her tip toes, reaching up over her head. The papers brushed the edge of the shelf, not quite high enough up. She stretched upward some more, and the papers passed onto the shelf. Rachel groaned a bit and shoved the papers back with all her might, the stack tumbling onto the shelf. _Yes!_

She grinned in satisfaction, clapping her hands together and turning away from the shelf. Her breath suddenly hitched and she stumbled backwards in surprise.

"Noah!" She shrieked. Puck leaned against the opposite shelf, his arms folded and his eyes twinkling.

"Nicely done, Berry. I didn't think you had it in you," he commented sarcastically, righting himself away from the shelf. Rachel mentally cursed herself for not noticing him earlier.

"Don't scare me like that," she muttered darkly. Puck chuckled and held his hands up.

"Sorry. I was just observing."

"Observing what? My work, or my ass?"

"A combination of both," Puck replied, laughing. Rachel scowled at him as he added, "you cursed. It's a miracle."

"A miracle indeed," she deadpanned. His laughter died out and they were left in an awkward silence. Rachel finally sighed and started to unpin her nametag. "Well, my shift is long over, so I'll be going now."

She finished taking off her nametag and turned around, walking to the back corner of the store. Puck strolled up to the front door, waiting until she reappeared a few minutes later. She blinked a few times when she saw him by the entrance, trying to figure out if he was really still there. He shoved his hands in his pockets and allowed her to walk out first, following closely behind.

"Let's go do something," he suggested as the warm evening air hit them. Rachel stopped and turned around slowly.

"Um, _what?_ And _why?"_ She asked in disbelief. Puck grinned.

"I dunno. Anything. And I already told you, _it's not like I have anything better to do,"_ he repeated for what seemed like the tenth time. Rachel sighed and tilted her head, contemplating his offer. Finally she shook her head and stomped back up to him.

"Fine. But **don't** try anything," she scolded. Puck did a double-take. Had she really agreed to this?

"Just don't say I didn't warn ya," he chuckled as they climbed into his truck. Rachel grunted in reply as he started the engine and pulled away from the Kwik-Pik. She was regretting her decision already.

---

**A/N: YAY! New chapter! Once again, I want to apologize for the late update! My laptop was having…issues, haha. It's all fixed now though! :D I hope this chapter is up to par. It's kind of a filler, but next chapter we finally start into Puck and Rachel's many interesting adventures xP**

**Credit for the HILARIOUS Midol idea goes to notso little j. I thought that suggestion was perfect, so I had to use it :P Hope that's okay, lol.**

**Also…I got a lot of complaints that last chapter was too short…I suffer from can't-write-long-chapters-o-titis (hahaha) so my updates won't be very lengthy. I tried to make this one a bit longer, so I hope you like it!**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVED. (= REVIEW OR I KILL YOU.)**

**Tee hee. Not really. But reviews are really appreciated ;)**


	4. Airplanes

You guys make me smile :D I hope I'm not getting too OOC here…

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_Pictures of you, pictures of me_

_Hung upon your wall for the world to see_

-"Pictures of You," The Last Goodnight

---

"It's dark," Rachel commented dryly as Puck pulled into a parkling lot and turned off the truck's engine. He craned his neck to glance up out the window, staring at the freeway overpass above them. The two teenagers sat in silence as car whizzed past over their heads, and Rachel fiddled with her thumbs quietly until she couldn't take it anymore.

"What are we doing here?" She whispered nervously. Puck chuckled.

"You don't have to whisper, Berry," he mocked her low voice, "nobody's going to jump out and take a gun to your head."

Rachel cringed at the mental image and swatted Puck's shoulder. "That's not funny!"

"You should've seen your face," he mocked, laughing. Rachel leered at him as he opened the car door, climbing out. He motioned for her to follow with the nod of his head and she frowned, scurrying out after him.

"Where are we going?" She murmured, folding her arms over her chest as a cool breeze brushed past them. Puck glanced back at her, his eyes shining slightly in the dark.

"You tell me."

Rachel huffed and quickened her pace to keep up with him. They strolled along without talking (Puck was having a hard time believing Rachel hadn't opened her mouth yet) until they reached a chain link fence.

"I'm not climbing that," Rachel blurted.

_Damn. Crazy woman can read minds, too,_ Puck thought inwardly. Outwardly, he groaned.

"Come **on**, Berry. Live a little," he suggested lamely, gripping the fence with both hands.

"_No,_" She shot back, stepping away. "Unlike you, I don't plan on getting arrested before I turn 18."

"I've never been arrested before," Puck argued, hoisting himself onto the fence. It made a clanging noise that echoed under the overpass, sending chills up Rachel's spine. She watched as he pulled himself over the top and jumped down on the other side.

"You're absolutely insufferable," She hissed, stepping forward hesitantly and grabbing onto the metal. It stung her hands as she struggled up the side of the fence. She finally made it the top and lifted both legs over before hopping down. She adjusted her t-shirt (the normal clothes thing was still freaking Puck out) and looked up at him.

"Are you going to tell me where we are yet?" Rachel demanded. Puck shook his head and started off walking again, leaving her to catch up. He made out the words _still insufferable_ before the sound of her little feet scuffing across the pavement could be heard. He smiled to himself as she pulled up beside him, breathing a little heavy.

"Too fast for ya, Berry?" He teased, looking over at her. He could only barely make out her profile in the dark, but he figured she was probably glaring at him.

"Maybe you've forgotten the fact that my legs are about half the length of yours!" She chirped. Puck chuckled and stopped in his tracks, glancing around before turning to Rachel.

"We're here," he said sarcastically. Rachel squinted and took a look at her surroundings. They were on a strip of cracked cement, grass sticking up here and there through the broken pieces. In the distance, she could see a warehouse-looking building with various airplanes parked around it. Puck lowered himself down on the cement beside her, sprawling across the ground on his back. Rachel grumbled under her breath and squatted down next to him.

"The airport? Really?!"She shrieked.

Yes, Lima had an aiport. It was one of the small, private ones where only rich people with private or recreational jets flew out of. Rachel had only driven past it now and then, seeing no need to ever come any closer.

"It's cool. Lay down," Puck commanded softly. Rachel sniffed and sat down, eyeing the dirty cement warily before slowly laying back, glancing up at the sky.

"Now what?" She asked quietly. Turning onto her side, she watched Puck's face. His expression was peaceful, lit up by the runway lights around them.

"Watch."

Rachel turned back to face the sky and stared up at the stars, wondering what the entire point of this was. Suddenly, she heard the roar of an engine and a plane whizzed into view, flying over them with a loud rumble, slowly getting lower and lower until its wheels hit the ground. Her eyes strayed to check out Puck's reaction. He was smiling, a gentle, sleepy smile as he turned around and met her gaze.

"What was the point of that?" Rachel asked, jerking her brown eyes away from his hazel ones. Puck hummed softly and closed his eyes, refusing to reply. The smaller girl sighed and turned back to the sky, waiting for any sign that he was ready to leave. Instead, they remained there in silence for almost an hour until another plane whirred past. Puck's eyes shot open again and he watched contently, until it landed, at which point he closed his eyes again. The same routine was repeated twice after that, and by the time the fourth plane had passed over Rachel stood up, towering over Puck's resting figure.

"I'm leaving," she declared, putting her hands on her hips. The boy's eyes fluttered open and he smirked lazily up at her.

"Already?" He deadpanned.

Rachel lifted her foot and pulled off her flip flop, bending over and wacking him in the face with it multiple times. Puck yelped and swatted at her hand, jerking his back upright.

"Fuck! Calm down, Berry! I'm coming!"

---

Rachel finally managed to get Puck to drive her home fifteen minutes later. His truck grumbled along the deserted streets of Lima, past darkened houses and parked cars, until they reached her small house. It was the perfect image of Suburbia- white picket fence, simple tan paint, flower garden in front. Puck stopped the car by the curb and waited for her to climb out, shutting the door behind her.

"Goodnight, Noah," she squeaked, waving slightly before turning on her heel and walking up the path to the front door. He waited until she vanished inside before pulling away from the house, contemplating his next move. In the end, he found himself parked back at the Kwik-Pik and wandering inside, frowning as he entered the near empty store.

The air conditioning unit was gone.

_Shit, how did I notice that?_

Puck stomped up to the counter, where only one person was working, half asleep over the day's newspaper. He tapped on the woman's shoulder until she snorted and opened her eyes, squinting at him.

"What?" She barked, straightening up a little. Puck pointed over to the empty space above the door.

"Where'd the air conditioning unit go?"

"Oh, the manager disposed of it this morning. Some guy is coming to replace it tomorrow," the lady mumbled, glaring at him. "Is that all you wanted?"

Puck grunted. "Yeah, that's it."

He stumbled out of the store and climbed back into the cab of his truck, sticking his keys into the ignition. The engine groaned once, twice, three times before finally springing to life and Puck pulled out of the parking lot, the truck bouncing along the empty road. He sat at the stoplight, still slightly pissed about the air conditioning unit- okay, so he was REALLY pissed. And it was fucked up, because what kind of badass got pissed about an appliance? Not one. Yet, here he was, grunting and cursing over it. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Puck flipped a u-turn and headed back in the direction Rachel's house. Why, he wasn't really sure.

All he knew was that he wanted that fucking air conditioning back where it belonged.

---

**Sooooo, that first adventure pretty much sucked. Sorry. But I'm kind of building up to their more exciting adventures…Rachel is still trying to figure Puck out, and he's still getting used to being around her. Give it time, please :D**

**Plus, over 50 reviews?! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your reviews are all really wonderful, and if I wasn't so lazy I would reply to all you but I've tried that and I just…yeah. So just know that your feedback is GREATLY APPRECIATED!**

**Heehee. Review? I have virtual cookies ;)**

**P.S. You should feel special. Two updates back to back. **

**Um, pshht, you're welcome. **

**Haha, JK.**


	5. The Great Air Conditioning Rescue

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, you guys are amazing! OOC, again. :P

---

_It's a quarter after one_

_I'm all alone and I need you now_

-"Need You Now," Lady Antebellum

---

"Noah, as pleasantly surprised as I am that you feel such a need to be near me that you're back, I'd really like to get some sleep-"

Puck cut her off when he yanked Rachel by the arm out of the house, pulling the door closed with his free hand and dragging her out to his truck. Rachel cried out in protest as he lifted her into the cab of his truck, seeing as she wouldn't get in willingly and ran around the front, getting in the driver's side. He quickly started the engine and pulled away from the house before she could jump out and run for her life.

"Noah! This is kidnapping! If you try to rape me, I know self defense-"

"Berry, would you chill the fuck out? I'm not going to _rape _you," he hissed, turning the corner and adding, "unless you want me to."

"NOAH!"

"Sorry."

Rachel sighed and buried the back of her head into the seat, closing her eyes. It was nearing two o'clock in the morning and Puck had hardly dropped her off half an hour ago. She was almost asleep when she felt the car roll to a stop, the engine shutting off as Puck shook her gently.

"Berry, I need you awake for this," he demanded, watching her as her eyes shot open. She grumbled and squirmed around the seat, looking at him with dazed eyes.

"What do you want?" She mumbled, shifting so that her face was pressed against the window.

"I'm going to tell you, but you can't tell ANYONE. Otherwise…well, just don't tell anyone," Puck threatened. He was about to say something about starting the slushie onslaught again but for some reason couldn't bring himself to. Either way Rachel looked intimidated (it might've had something to do with the fact she was half asleep) so he continued. "," he blurted.

"You wanna getta whatta?" Rachel slurred. _She sounds drunk,_ Puck noted, but he knew in reality she was just tired. Her eyes kept closing and opening as she struggled to stay awake.

"That air conditioning unit at the Kwik-Pik. They got rid of it, I wanna get it back," he explained slowly, putting the car into reverse. Suddenly, Rachel jerked forward, wide awake.

"You dragged me out of my house at two thirty in the morning to get an air conditioner?!" She shrieked, banging the dashboard with her fist. "You inconsiderate, insufferable, asinine-"

"Berry, take that stick out of your ass and chill out!" Puck roared back. Her mouth snapped shut and she sunk back into the seat, folding her arms across her chest.

"How are we going to get it back?" She asked quietly.

"That's kind of why I needed you. I don't know."  
---

Half an hour later, Puck and Rachel were standing behind the Kwik-Pik, glancing at the large green dumpster in front of them. Rachel groaned and pinched her nose shut, the disgusting smell wafting through the air. Puck took a hesitant step forward and rubbed his hands together.

"Okay, so this won't be that hard, right? I mean, the unit's big. We should be able to see it," he assured her. Rachel scrunched her eyes shut and pushed him closer to the dumpster, jumping back quickly.

"You do it!" She cried, plugging her nose again. Puck groaned and rolled his eyes in the dark.

"Don't be such a _girl,_ Berry."

Rachel's mouth fell open, and she shoved him again. "I am a girl!"

"So I've noticed," Puck replied smugly, his eyes raking over her body. She was wearing plaid pajama shorts and a pink tank top, an NYU zip up hoodie thrown over her shoulders.

Rachel scoffed and shoved him a final time (shit, where did she get all that strength?) and Puck stumbled over to the dumpster. His nose scrunched up at the terrible smell as he gripped the metal edge, hoisting himself up and into the trash can. The smaller brunette stood in front, watching him disappear from sight. She could hear him rummaging around, trash going this way and that, until he finally yelled, "I found it!" and the unit flew through the air, landing inches away from her foot.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Rachel screeched, cringing as his disheveled form appeared from inside the dumpster. He shrugged and hopped down onto the pavement, lifting his arm for inspection. Puck took one whiff of himself and muttered some curse words before walking over to the air conditioner.

"You stink," Rachel commented dryly before following him. Puck grunted and lifted the unit into his arms, widening his stance to keep balance.

"No shit, Berry. I just climbed into a dumpster."

She merely shrugged and pulled her sweatshirt more tightly around herself as they walked back around to the front of the Kwik-Pik. Puck looked a little misplaced (he WAS carrying an air conditioner, after all) as they pushed open the glass door and walked into the shop. The same lady was at the counter as earlier, and Rachel slipped past Puck, walking over to her. He watched them exchange some words, and the lady kept sending death glares towards him, until Rachel finally returned.

"Meg said she doesn't care, as long as you install it yourself," she explained. Puck set down the unit on the hard tile ground and looked down at her. _She's a lot smaller when she's not acting crazy,_ he noted.

"That's fucking great, Berry. Too bad I have no fucking idea how."

Rachel bit her lip and looked away, contemplating this. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her face was a little pink, and Puck swore those legs peeking out from her shorts seemed to extend for miles. She looked freakishly normal and also, he was sad to admit, hot.

"We could have someone from the local appliance store install it for us?" She suggested lamely.

"Yeah, because I'm too pussy to pay them money and not install it myself. We'll figure it out," he muttered, looking up at the ceiling and trying to remember everything he could from when it had hung there before.

"We? I don't have the slightest idea how to install anything, much less an air conditioner." Rachel replied.

"I thought you were smart," Puck teased, "is there a ladder in this place?"

"The supply closet in the back corner," she murmured, ignoring his previous hit. The mohawked boy strolled away and returned a few minutes later carrying a large metal ladder. He set it down by the door and slid the air conditioning unit over towards the base, stepping onto the first rung.

"Okay, so it hangs there…" he said, pointing to some loose chords hanging from the ceiling, "…and attaches there," he finished, pointing over to the wall. "I'm just going to get it hung up now. Then we'll try to hook it up."

"Again with the we," Rachel exclaimed, but this time she didn't mind as much. Puck continued up the ladder until he was on the third rung from the top and could reach the ceiling. He took another glance up before looking down at her, extending his hands.

"I need you to hand it to me," he told her. Rachel cocked her head to the side questioningly and put a hand on her hip.

"You want me to lift that?" She asked in disbelief. Puck nodded and widened his eyes in a way that said, _I just asked that, are you fucking retarded?_

Rachel huffed and bent over slowly, wrapping one arm around the unit. She groveled with the corner until she could get her other hand under it and lifted it slowly, her legs straightening as she stood. Her legs were shaking and she took small steps towards the ladder, arriving at the base.

"Easy, Berry. Now just lift it a little bit…"

She groaned and lifted until the metal was touching Puck's arms. He carefully slid his hands under it and pulled it away, his hands brushing hers as they passed. Rachel stepped back and leaned against the wall, her face flushed.

"How much does that thing weigh?!" She demanded, wiping her hands on her pajama shorts.

"I dunno, a lot?" Puck answered stupidly. He carefully adjusted the chords hanging from the ceiling until the air conditioning unit was hanging back in place, just as it had been the day before. He climbed down from the ladder and carried it back to the supply closet before returning to admire his work.

"It does add something to the place," Rachel mocked him, a grin on her face.

"Shut up," Puck mumbled, but he was smiling. "I'll come back later to hook up the wiring."

"Ah, so just you this time?" She joked as they walked out of the store.

"I just figured you'd already be here for work, so you can help me then," he shot back, tossing her a smirk. They both got into the cab of his truck and drove back to Rachel's house, where she stepped out of his car for the second time that night and gave him a sweet smile.

"If you ever drag me out of my house at two in the morning to fix an air conditioner again, I will KILL you," she hissed, her voice dripping with fake innocence as the fake smile stretched across her face. Then, she ran up the front walk to her house and opened the front door, closing it carefully behind her. To be honest, she pretty much scared Puck shitless.

---

**This chapter was crap. I'm sorry! I just needed to update and this is all I could do :/ **

**Please review, though! Next chapter will be better, at least I'll try to make it better. **

**P.S. My birthday is this coming Saturday. Bake me a cake? :P**


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